Christmas shoppers stop to hear a Salvation Army concert on a crowded Oslo street. An explosion cuts through the music and the bitter cold: One of the singers falls dead, shot in the head at point-blank range. Harry Hole - the Oslo Police Department’s best investigator and worst civil servant - has little to work with: no suspect, no weapon, and no motive. But Harry’s troubles will multiply. As the search closes in, the killer becomes increasingly desperate, and Harry’s chase takes him to the most forbidden corners of the former Yugoslavia. Yet it’s when he returns to Oslo that he encounters true darkness....

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Christmas shoppers stop to hear a Salvation Army concert on a crowded Oslo street. An explosion cuts through the music and the bitter cold: One of the singers falls dead, shot in the head at point-blank range. Harry Hole - the Oslo Police Department’s best investigator and worst civil servant - has little to work with: no suspect, no weapon, and no motive. But Harry’s troubles will multiply. As the search closes in, the killer becomes increasingly desperate, and Harry’s chase takes him to the most forbidden corners of the former Yugoslavia.

Yet it’s when he returns to Oslo that he encounters true darkness: among the homeless junkies and Salvationists, eagerly awaiting a savior to deliver them from misery - whether he brings new life or immediate death.

With its shrewdly vertiginous narrative, acid-etched characters, and white-hot pace, The Redeemer is resounding proof of Jo Nesbø’s standing as one of the best crime writers of our time.

I found the plot development somewhat forced -- hard to believe -- but enjoyed it nonetheless. Fascinating look behind the scenes of the Salvation Army. Harry seemed somehow less vested in the problems he was solving.

As for the narrator. The loss of Robin Sachs is huge. I especially missed his distinguishing voices for each character. Much as I like John Lee -- his nicely dark voice and his delivery -- his reading here made the book more difficult to follow, and more difficult to keep the characters straight. It's probably because the names are unfamiliar, but also may be because the voice of each character was less than distinctive. But what are you going to do?

First, I have always enjoyed listening to John Lee. The unfortunate passing of Robin Sachs should not give anyone the opportunity to compare the two. This was well narrated.

Next, I was surprised that, by the end, Harry had not been shot, stabbed, beaten nor threatened!

This episode is just as engaging as the others, but it did not leave me cringing at the evil that humans can do to each other. Harry still fights the same demons and regrets that haunt him throughout the series.There are still murders and odd clues than the clever mind of Harry Hole manages to tie together to untangle a twisted plot. His personal sense of justice makes for an apt conclusion.

The Devil's Star is the only other Harry Hole book I've read, and I thought it was just so-so, not nearly as good as Karin Fossum. But The Redeemer is something else entirely. I may be biased because I lived in Croatia for several years, but the Croatian connection is not the only reason this book is good. Harry seemed so much more likable and complex in this book: he's not just angry-headstrong-brilliant-detective-guy but also showed more vulnerability (and I don't just mean his alcoholism). Plus, you know how sometimes you read a detective novel and you hope for a different type of ending? Here ya go. Not that the mystery is that difficult--I figured out the culprit really easily, which I don't even try to do, normally--but the resolution was really nice. Nesbo's portrayal of Croatian refugees and war veterans is spot-on.

About the narration: the biggest issue for me was the....occasional...William Shatner....pacing. Egregious. Plus, the narrator's "Croatian" accent was just pseudo-Russian, and several crucial Croatian words are mispronounced. I lived in Osijek--near Vukovar--for years, and "Spasitelj" is pronounced SPASitelj, not spaSEEtelj. Bah.

But the narration rarely impeded my enjoyment of the story...I just have a few minor issues with it. This book is well, well worth a credit.

Don't buy any of this series unless you plan to listen to them all. I would suggest you listen in order which is now possible because most have been translated at this point. Although there have been two different narrators, you really won't notice unless you listen to one after the other. They are both excellent. Start with the Bat, (which was actually my least favorite but still good) and work your way through the series. The main character, Harry Hole, is not you typical detective due to his alcohol problems, but he always manages to solve the case. The author does a great job of giving you the clues to solve it before Harry picks up the trail. You almost want to shake the book and say, "Harry , look the clue is right in front of you."

I would rate this series on par with Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series. But this one has more books so you can listen longer.

The Redeemer is another great installment in the Harry Hole series. Listening to this book answers some confusion that I had in later books. The Redeemer has plenty of Nesbo trademark detail. twists and turns that make the series so enjoyable. If you're a Hole fan, or just enjoy an interesting police procedural, this is a worthwhile way to spend a credit!

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